Smoker&#39;s appliance



Oct. 14, 1941'. R. e. WHITMAN SMOKERS APPLIANCE Filed Juhe 27, 1939 6.Whiiman Patented Get. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,259,412SMOKERS APPLIANCE Robert Gordon whitm'anrAlvonrllV. Va. Application June27, 1939, Serial No. 281,437

' 3 Claims. (01. 131 241) This invention relates to an improvedappliance for use with cigarettes or cigars for holding a cigarette orcigar while it is being smoked and for positioning the lighted end abovean ash receiver. I

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improvedappliance for smokers primarily intended to eliminate or minimize thefire hazard due to smoking, the staining by nicotine of a smokersfingers, and the soiling of clothes or furniture due to ashes.

More particularly, it is an aim of this invention toprovide a simpledevice into which a cigarette or cigar may be readily inserted andreleasably held while smoking with the lighted end'thereof positionedabovea' receiver into which the ashes from thecigarette may readilyfall.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device, asheretoforedescribed, for releasably holding a cigarette with one endextending therefrom to be engaged by the lips of the smoker, said devicebeing so constructed that it will automaticallyextinguish the cigarettewhen it has burned down to a certain length.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a device for holdinga cigarette or cigar and for receiving the ashes therefrom having acompartment provided with a closure into which the ashes and the buttend of a cigarette or cigar may be dumped when it is otherwiseinconvenient to dispose of the ashes and cigar or cigarette butt.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing whichillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein Figure 1 is atop plan view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same,

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken alongthe line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse View taken along the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifierent views, HI designates generally the appliance comprising theinvention which includes a channel shaped member, designated generallyll having a bottom l2 provided with the inclined portions l3 whichterminate in the upright sides l4. The channel shaped member II isprovided with the ends l5 and Hi, the former of which is elongated toextend upwardly substantially above the sides I4. End [5 is providedwith an opening I! for a purpose which will hereinafter be described.

The appliance II), as illustrated, is intended for use as a holder forcigarettes but could obviously be used for holding small cigars andcould beenlarged for holding larger cigars. The appliancelfl isprovidedwith the cigarette retaining member, designated generally [8 whichincludes a strip of metal l9 having the downturned ends 28 which areadapted to be secured in any suitable manner to the outer side of thesides l4. Strip [9 is provided with a depending arcuately shapedintermediate portion 2| which depends into the channel member II. Theretaining member lflalso includes a strip 22 of resilient material ofsubstantially the same length, width and thickness as the strip l9 whichis provided with, the downturned end 23 suitablysecured to one of; theends, 20 in overlying relationship thereto. fThe strip .22 is providedwith an upwardly projecting arcuately shaped portion 24 disposedcontiguously with the portion 2| and forming therewith the retainingring designated generally 25' which is adapted to hold a cigarette. Theopposite'endof the strip 22 extends downwardlyfinj overlappingrelationship to the opposite end 20 and isfiared outwardly at its end asindicated at 26 to provide a finger grip for raising the last mentionedend of the strip 22 to move the portion 24 of the ring 25 away from theportion 2| to thereby enlarge the opening of the ring. As best seen inFigures 3 and 4, ring 25 is disposed adjacent to the end l5 and inalinement with its opening IT.

A top wall 2'! extends from the end E6 of the channel member II to apoint intermediate the ends of said member to form the compartment 28having an open inner end adapted to be closed by a gravity'actuated door29 pivotally connected at its upper end; at 3|], to the inner end of thetop 21. Door 29 is provided with a handle 3| which extends above the topof the door and above the top wall 21 for swinging the door 29 upwardlyfor opening the inner end of the compartment 28.

The appliance I0 is provided with a handle 32 which is secured to thechannel shaped member ll adjacent its bottom and which projectsoutwardly therefrom. Handle 32 preferably includes an arcuately shapedupper portion 33 shaped to receive a finger and is adapted to be usedfor holding the appliance. The portion '33 may be made separate andsecured to handle 32 in any suitable manner, as by welding, or may bemolded integral therewith. The base of the handle 32 is substantially ina plane with the bottom I! of the channel member II to rest flat on asupporting surface to prevent the appliance from overturning. Handle 32is preferably disposed adjacent the end l and may extend from eitherside of the appliance l0 depending upon whether the device is intendedto be held in the right or left hand. As illustrated, the handle 32extends from the left side of the appliance and is adapted to be held inthe left hand.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that a cigarette, as seen in dottedlines in Figure 3, may be inserted through opening I1 and into the ring25, when the ring is expanded by raising the element 26 and adjusting itto a proper posi: tion, as illustrated in Figure 3, after which end 26is released to cause the portion 24 to move downwardly to yieldablyclamp the cigarette therein. The end of the cigarette which is disposedabove the channel member II is adapted to be lighted while the oppositeend which extends beyond the end I5 of the appliance I0 is adapted to beplaced in the mouth for smoking. It will thus be seen that the ashesfrom the cigarette need not be knocked off as they will readily dropinto portion 34 of the channel member ll. The-slight pressure of. thering 25 on the cigarette is sufficient to extinguish it when it hasburned down to the ring thereby eliminating putting out the cigaretteand insuring that no damage can occur should a lighted cigarette beforgotten and left in the holder. Obviously, the position of thecigarette in the holder may be varied so that it can burn to any desiredlength. Should it be inconvenient to dump the ashes from the portion 34after smoking, the door 29, can be raised by operating the handleportion 3l and the appliance l0 tilted so that the ashes will pass intocompartment 28 where the butt of the cigarette may also be placed afterwhich the device can be placed in a pocket until such time as it isconvenient to remove and dump the ashes. and cigarette butt. 7

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto provided they fall within the spirit and scope of th invention as,hereinafter defined by the. appended claims.

.into the channel shaped member, and a strip overlying said firstmentioned strip and secured at one end to an end of the first mentionedstrip,

the intermediate portion of said last mentioned strip having an upwardlyprojecting arcuately shaped portion forming with said first mentionedarcuately shaped portion a ring, the opposite end of said last mentionedstrip extending downwardly on the opposite side of the channel shapedmember and having an outwardly flared terminal forming a finger grip,said last mentioned strip being formed of yieldable material foryieldably engaging and releasably holding a cigarette.

2. A device as in claim 1, comprising a top wall extending from theopposite end of said channel shaped member and terminating intermediateof its ends to form a compartment in said last mentioned end, and aclosure hinged to the inner end of said top wall for closing the openend of said compartment;

3. A cigarette holder and ash receiver comprising a channel shaped basemember having end walls. one end wall being elongated and having anopening for receiving a cigarette, clamping means supported byjthe base,adjacent said opening, for releasabl holding the cigarette in positionabove an end of the base, a top wall extending inwardly of the base fromits opposite end wall and forming a compartment'in the opposite end ofthe base, said compartment having an open inner end; and a closurepivotally connected to the free end of the'top wall for closing saidcompartment.

ROBERT GORDON WHITMAN.

